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NCSBN Affirms Commitment to Facilitating Interstate Practice

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Aug 19, 2014) - The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®), www.ncsbn.org, passed a resolution affirming its commitment to facilitating interstate practice at the Delegate Assembly and Annual Meeting held in Chicago, Aug. 13-15, 2014.

With this resolution, NCSBN affirms its endorsement of a uniform mutual recognition model for state-based nurse licensure to enhance public protection and use of telehealth technology for access to health care as well as facilitate the mobility of nurses.

NCSBN recognized the importance of facilitating interstate practice by endorsing the mutual recognition model of nurse licensure in 1997. In 2000, the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs) was implemented. The Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators (NLCA), representing the 24 states in the NLC, have continuously explored potential revisions to the NLC to enhance its operations.

Over the past year, the NCSBN Executive Officer Forum has engaged in a dialogue about the mutual recognition model of licensure and has reached consensus among those members who participated to propose revisions to the NLC that will allow for its expeditious adoption by states. Additionally, the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Compact, a mutual recognition model for advanced practice nursing, has been proposed and is being aligned with the NLC.

Founded March 15, 1978, as an independent not-for-profit organization, NCSBN was created to lessen the burdens of state governments and bring together boards of nursing (BONs) to act and counsel together on matters of common interest. NCSBN's membership is comprised of the BONs in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories -- American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. There are also 21 associate members that are either nursing regulatory bodies or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories.

NCSBN Member Boards protect the public by ensuring that safe and competent nursing care is provided by licensed nurses. These BONs regulate more than 3 million licensed nurses, the second largest group of licensed professionals in the U.S.

Mission: NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote evidence-based regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not the individual member state or territorial boards of nursing.